Oklahoma State Must Perform Better in High-Profile Games

The Cowboys need to beat some premier opponents in the near future.

Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy stands on the sidelines in the second half of the Big 12 Football Championship game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Texas Longhorns at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. | Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oklahoma State has been among the best teams in the Big 12 throughout Mike Gundy’s tenure, but its ability to win big games will determine its future.

Entering 2025, OSU’s expectations are the lowest they’ve been since the early days of the Gundy era. After years of struggles, Gundy turned OSU into a consistent winner, making 18 straight bowl games, with each of those years also ending with a winning record.

However, the Cowboys’ 3-9 mark last season made things difficult for them moving forward. Not only was Gundy on the hot seat, but OSU nearly cleaned house with the rest of the coaching staff.

Incoming coordinators Doug Meacham and Todd Grantham brought in many assistants of their choosing to help set the Cowboys up for a potential bounce-back season. Of course, with all of the impressive recruiting and the exciting young talent already in Stillwater, Meacham and Grantham’s mission is meant to last much longer than just next season.

Considering all of the talent OSU is looking to add or has already added, the Cowboys could be in for a bright future. Assuming OSU can develop its high-upside players, it should have no problem being on the same skill level as the top teams in the Big 12 or even in the country.

In the end, simply being as good or better on paper is a pointless exercise, as exhibited by many of Gundy’s teams throughout his head coaching career. If the Cowboys are going to enter this new era of college football and find national success, they must perform when the lights are brightest.

Of course, the biggest issue in that department throughout Gundy’s career has been Bedlam. With Oklahoma off the schedule for the foreseeable future, OSU might have a chance to take a leap without needing to overcome its past demons.

Still, games such as the crushing loss to Baylor in the 2021 Big 12 Championship and a loss to Texas in 2023’s title game show that OSU still has to overcome that hurdle as a program. With many new faces in the building, the Cowboys might be ready to get over the hump and win some big games.

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